Is there a way to use a field value to specify an email attachment filename? Using Acrobat 5, FM 5.5 on Win (NT4 & 2000) and Mac OS X clients. Would like to automate process to avoid confirming PDF file overwrite errors, and to create unique PDFs for future reference.

Thanks, everyone!

PS. This is my first post.

It isn't entirely clear from your post whether you are generating the pdf files from FileMaker, or attaching them to email sent from within FileMaker (ie with the 'Send Mail' script step). I've assumed it is the latter - but either way, dynamic naming of files is not a native feature of FMP, but can be achieved with the use of plug-ins.

The most basic approach would be to script the send mail with a default attachment filename (eg 'Attachment.pdf), but to precede it with external function calls which locate the file (by a path and name specified in a field of the database) and place a copy of it in the database folder, renaming it to Attachment.pdf (to overwrite the previous attachment sent). The send mail step then picks up this file via the default name/location.

A more elegant option is available where instead of copying the file, the plug-in places a shortcut (alias) of it in the default attachment location (re-naming it appropriately) - with the result that the send mail script step picks up the actual file rather than a renamed copy of it.

There are several plug-in options which are x-plat, including DialogMagic' from New Millennium Communications, 'TroiFile' from Troi Automatisering and also 'FileTools' from Waves in Motion (though I only have direct experience with the first two of these). There may be others.

If you're interested, the links for the plug-ins mentioned are:

http://www.newmillennium.com/

http://www.troi.com/software/fileplugin.html

http://wmotion.com/filetools.html

However to my knowledge, only the first of the plug-ins I've mentioned (DialogMagic) is capable of creating shortcuts/aliases.

Ray:

THanks for the quick reply and valuable information. It looks like the DialogMagic plug-in is the way to go. Yes, we are using the SendMail function in our scripts -- the intention is to create an email message that will serve the function similar to a fax coverpage for the form that we want to send as a PDF attachment. As you know, Acrobat Distiller creates the PDF with the filename format <FMdatabasename.pdf>. THe solution to our problem would come from either changing the PDF filename at creation to be unique based on a database field contents or to delete the last PDF created before the new one is created.

Looking forward to trying out DialogMagic!

Bob Biegon

RSM Computer Services, Inc.

Hello Bob,

Not to confuse the issue unduly, but while you are at it, you may wish to have a look also at plug-ins such as SMTPit (from CNS), which allow the sending of emails direct from FileMaker - bypassing the default email client application.

With SMTPit and possibly also some other comparable plug-ins such as mail.it (from Dacons), it is possible to include one or more attachments based on paths which are stored within fields in the current record.

URLs for the respective vendors are:

http://www.cnsplug-ins.com/

http://www.dacons.net/fmplugins/index.html

This may be an alternative angle that you could approach the problem from. From what you've said, an ideal solution might in fact be one involving two plug-ins eg both DialogMagic and SMTPit.